Penske Is a Driving Force In Motor Racing Business

Adopting a never say no attitude, Roger Penske has been the driving force behind Indy car competition since he helped establish Champion Auto Racing Teams (CART) almost a decade ago in a break with the United States Auto Club.

Penske has a reputation as a meticulous, tireless racing team manager. The 48-year-old former driver also runs a corporation that posts annual earnings of $500 million.

It’s anybody’s guess when Penske has time to run his business or personal life in light of the energies he expends in masterminding a three-driver race team that boasts winners of five Indianapolis 500 races. Al Unser is a three-tine winner, Rick Mears has won twice. Newcomer Danny Sullivan has done so well the past couple of years that he must rate as one of the favorites for the May 26 race.

Penske, trim at 5-11, 175 pounds, stalks the pit area like a general commanding a brigade, coordinating the actions among his three crew chiefs and dispensing advice from a mind that houses every fact in the operation.

As a driver, Penske competed in the 1962 Watkins Glen Grand Prix in a Cooper Climax and won three races, including his class in the Sebring 12 Hours, to earn Sports Illustrated’s Driver of the Year award. He won a NASCAR Grand National race at Riverside in 1963 by beating Joe Weatherly and Darel Dieringer to the finish line. In 1964, he won with a Jim Hall automatic transmission car and was labled the “Shiftless Wonder.”

Penske formed his own racing team in 1966 with the late Mark Donohue, considered an ace driver and the best chassis man in the business. Donohue was king of the hill for the next seven years. He won the Trans-Am title twice, captured the Daytona 24 Hours and won the 1972 Indy 500 at a record speed of 162.962, a mark that lasted until Rick Mears set a standard of 163.612 last year.

Penske’s ability to react to competitive challenges provides a flexibility that gives him an advantage over other teams. Of course, having the finances to rejiggle equipment helps toward a successful campaign. Until last year, Penske built his own cars. When manufacturing became too expensive, he joined the crowd and raced Marches. This year the decision was between buying new Marches or the Lola, which Mario Andretti had so much success with in 1984 when he won the driving title for Paul Newman and Carl Haas.

A gambling man, Penske went with the Marches, which haven’t achieved the speed Andretti enjoyed with his Lola during the month of May in qualifying and practice.

There are observers who believe that without Penske CART wouldn’t survive. He owns the Michigan International Speedway, manages the Cleveland Grand Prix setup and was instrumental in saving Pocono Raceway. His drivers have won three of the last six Indy 500s.

In addition to owning Cadillac dealerships and acting as metropolitan New York distributor for Detroit Diesel Allison systems, Penske Corporation also entered a deal with Hetz for a truck leasing company that operates 21,000 lease vehicles nationwide.